I'll Be Fine
by docrock06
Summary: Ray gets sick and tries to convince Neela that he’s fine. Will his roomie see the truth before it’s too late? AU set in season 11. Roomie Fluff.
1. Chapter 1

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O.K, I know that I should be updating "

_**Happiness" **_**or even another one of my stories instead of starting another, but this is just going to be a short little one for in between my moments of writers block on the others…and I hope that you like it and please let me know what you think!**

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**Title: I'll be Fine**

**Author: DocRock06**

**Rating: ****K+ for mild swearing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended**

**Spoilers: None**

**Content Warning: None**

**Summery: Ray gets sick and tries to convince Neela that he's fine. Will his roomie see the truth before it's too late? AU set in season 11. Roomie Fluff.**

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**Prologue**

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Walking through the front doors of Cook Country General, Ray let out a small sigh of relief at the welcoming warmth that the hospital gave. He had been out late last night after a gig, and had woken up that morning with a banging headache and a nauseous stomach. He knew that he should probably try to cut back on the groupies and the nights out, especially in the middle of the week when he was working, but Ray was young, still only 26 years old, and wanted to enjoy himself.

Walking past the admit desk, smiling to himself when he saw the desk clerks, Jerry and Frank arguing over the last doughnut, Ray made his way to the doctors lounge to shed his coat and bag and get his white lab coat. Pushing the door opened, he smiled when he saw that Neela was there, and looked at her as he said,

"Hey roomie"

Turning around from her spot at the sink where she was standing preparing herself a cup of coffee, Neela offered Ray a smile as she said,

"Hey", no longer hating the way that he called her "_roomie" _all though she would admit that it had irritated her when she had just moved it…but now she thought that it was quite sweet that he thought of her as much of a friend as he did to give her a nickname.

Stuffing his coat into his locker, Ray pulled on his white lab coat over his sleeve-less grey t-shirt and blue jeans as he asked,

"What time you off?"

Throwing her coffee down the sink after taking a sip, guessing that Morris must have been the one who had prepared the sludge, Neela looked at Ray with a weary smile as she said,

"Six thirty, you?"

Throwing his stethoscope over his neck, Ray looked at her with a similar expression as he replied,

"Eight. So I'll see you at home then?"

"You're not going out tonight?" Neela asked. _God, that sounded a lot more uptight that I meant it to…it's not like I'm his mother…or his girlfriend._ Neela chagrined herself before quickly adding, "I mean, you don't have a gig or anything?"

Shaking his head, Ray smiled at her as he said,

"Nope, just me and you roomie" Jerking his thumb at the door, Ray pulled his famous pout as he said, "But before that…we work"

Holding the door opening for her, Ray let Neela walk out before him and followed her to the admit desk, ready to start another day of work.

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"No Mr. O Hara, I assure you, it's just the flu" Ray said to the elderly old man who had presented with a sore throat, but was convinced that he was dying. Smiling at the old man, Ray pulled his prescription pad from his pocket and scribbled onto it as he said,

"I'll write you a prescription for Tylenol to help with the fever"

Handing the prescription to Mr. O Hara, Ray excused himself and walked out to the admit desk, filling in the chart as he did. Setting the chart back in the rack, Ray ran a hand over the base of his neck, easing the stiffness out of it before he went about looking for another chart. However, his search was interrupted by the sound of Luka calling out as he wheeled a gurney through the doors,

"Double MVA, you take the next one with Neela"

Nodding his head, Ray jogged out to the ambulance bay and met Neela with the gurney and helped to bring it through to Trauma 2. Grabbing onto the stretcher, Ray looked at Neela as he said,

"1…2…3!" before helping her, and the other members of staff in the room transfer the patient.

Cutting down the man's shirt, Ray noticed the large abrasions that covered him, most of his ribs probably cracked.

"Get a chest X-Ray" Ray called out as he looked over at Neela, who was working on administering drugs into the man's IV's.

Twenty minutes later, and six litres of blood, Neela and Ray where both walking out of the trauma room, their patient, a man in his early thirties who they discovered was called Karl Donaldson, was being wheeled up to surgery to repair a tear in his spleen.

Stripping of his gown and gloves, throwing them in a near by bin, Ray ran a hand over the back of his neck, trying to ease out the stiffness that had been knotting its way into his muscles all day. Looking at Ray with concern as she disposed of her own trauma gear, Neela asked,

"You Okay?"

Letting his hand drop to his side, Ray gave her a smile as he said,

"Yeah"

Looking at him more closely, making sure he wasn't just telling her that, Neela wasn't so sure. She hadn't been living with Ray that long, and they had been good friends for an even shorter period of time, but she was learning ways to read him. Walking with him to the admit desk, Neela asked him again,

"You're sure…you're not just trying to act all manly and pretend you're fine?" She added the second part with a smirk, earning an indignant snort from Ray as he picked up another chart, handing her one as he said,

"Haven't you got work to do?" a grin on his own face as he walked past her and into exam one.

* * *

It was finally the end of his shift and Ray was glad to be getting home. Neela had left not too long ago, having been kept in after an unexpected trauma had come in and they had needed an extra set of hands. Grabbing his stuff out of his locker, Ray felt a shiver run up his back and pulled his coat tighter around him. Putting his white lab coat and his ID back in his locker, Ray slammed it shut as he made his way out of the lounge, saying goodnight to Abby and Pratt, both of whom where standing at the admit desk, just starting there shifts.

Climbing the steps to the EL, Ray felt the ache and stiffness in his neck still there. He had taken painkillers for it during the day, but it still hadn't gone away. He guessed it was probably from the way he had slept the night before, being a bit too drunk to walk properly and just dropping onto his bed, happy not to land on the floor.

_I really g__ot to think getting to bed through a bit more…especially if I feel this crap after sleeping on the floor._

Stepping onto the train, Ray flopped down into a seat and counted the minutes until he would be home.

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Neela, who was sitting on the couch watching "Celebrity World Poker", was wearing a pair of sweats and a long sleeved shirt. She had her feet pulled up under her, and was eating from a tub of Ben and Jerry's. So engrossed in what she was watching, she didn't hear Ray come in, and naturally let out a yelp when he said,

"Hey Neela"

Laughing, Ray dumped his bag by the door and shed his coat, flopping down on the couch beside Neela. Smiling at her he raised his eyebrow as he asked,

"What's got you so jumpy?"

Smacking him lightly with the back of her hand, Neela gave him a mock scowl as she said,

"I didn't hear you come in…you usually make a lot more noise"

Nodding his head in acceptance, knowing that her statement was true, Ray slouched down into the sofa, closing his eyes as he felt a pounding behind his temples slowing building up.

Looking at Ray, Neela turned slightly in her seat, and placed her hand to his forehead, causing him to open his eyes at look at her. Before he had a chance to ask her what it was she was doing, Neela said with a slight frown,

"You're hot"

Smirking, Ray replied,

"Thank you"

Realizing what she had just said, Neela blushed slightly. _Oh my God, I can't believe I just said that! _Clearing her throat nervously, Neela took her hand away from his forehead as she said,

"Funny Ray…but you are warm. Are you sure you feel alright?"

Nodding his head, Ray looked at her with a sheepish grin as he said,

"Yeah, I've just a bit of a headache…but it's just a hangover…I'll be fine"

Looking at him for a few more moments, Neela turned her attention back to the television set as she said,

"O.K…but if it isn't, let me know. I'm not having you die in the apartment because your ego didn't want to take a blow by admitting you're not actually indestructible"

Shaking his head with a slight laugh, Ray looked at her as he said,

"I promise I'll tell you"

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**A/N - Is Ray really as fine as he thinks? _Will _he tell Neela if he isn't fine? Leave me a review and let me know that you think to find out the answers in the next chapters!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Well, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the reviews that I got for the first chapter, so I thought that I would give you all another chapter to read since you all were so nice to me.**

**I hope that you like this one too, and please review and let me know what you think…as you can see, I'm a sucker for reviews and they make me update quicker!**

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**Chapter 2 **

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Turning over in bed, Ray tried to get comfortable, but found that his aching muscles just refused to let him. Letting out a sigh he lifted his head slightly off his pillow and glanced over at the clock on his nightstand, the neon lights flashing, "02:07". Letting his head fall back to the pillow Ray closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing, seeing if that would help lull him to sleep. Peeking one eye open, he let out an even more frustrated sigh as he saw that not even five minutes had passed. He was as tired as hell and wanted nothing more than a few hours sleep before he had to work the next day. His body seemed to have been having other ideas. Turning onto his side, and away from the clock, knowing that he would just constantly be checking to see how much time had passed, Ray squeezed his eyes shut. Pushing the blanket down, Ray swung his legs over the side of the bed and pushed himself up, taking sleepy, sluggish steps to the kitchen. Getting a glass of water and two Tylenol, his headache returning with his restlessness, Ray swallowed the two pills before setting the glass in the sink and returning to his room. Looking at the clock to see that it was now "02:45", Ray groaned slightly as he flopped down onto the bed and pulled the covers over his head, sleep soon coming to him.

Hearing the incessant beeping of his alarm clock, and unable to believe that it was already time for him to get up, Ray snaked an arm from under the duvet and blindly smacked around until he had stopped the noise. Lying still for a few more minutes, Ray rubbed the sleep from his eyes before pushing the covers down and walking out into the living room. Seeing Neela, who looked tired herself, Ray offered her a small smile as he made his way to the bathroom, Neela walking to the kitchen.

Turning on the water in the shower, steam slowly beginning to fill the bathroom, Ray quickly stripped down before climbing in and letting the water flow over him. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes as he let the water beat down on his, its pressure slightly calming his aching muscles. Pushing off the wall, he quickly washed his hair and body before stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around himself. Shaving, a slight five O' Clock shadow beginning to grow, Ray cursed when he saw that he had forgot to bring in any clothes. Opening the door to the bathroom, Ray collided with Neela, the latter putting her hands on his bare chest to save herself as she quickly said,

"I was coming to tell you breakfast was ready"

Running a hand through his wet hair, Ray offered her his best smile, finding her awkwardness and blush cute as he said,

"Thanks"

Realizing that her hands where still on his chest, Neela dropped them to her side, her blush turning deeper before she spun away from him so he couldn't see her face, and she couldn't see his smirk, as she said,

"I'll let you get dressed"

Walking to his room, Ray smirked as he said,

"I thought you said I was hot?"

Laughing, he ducked into his room, missing the pillow that she threw at him from the back of the couch. Quickly changing into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, the front reading, "Employee of the month", Ray made his way to the kitchen where Neela was sitting reading the newspaper.

Sitting in the seat facing her he took a drink from his coffee, smirking behind his cup when he saw that she was still blushing slightly. _She's cute when she does that _Ray thought before picking up a piece of toasting and nibbling at it, not really that hungry.

Folding the paper before finishing her own coffee, Neela looked at Ray as she said,

"I'm just going to get a quick shower and then we can go?" Making it more of a question, not wanting to tell him that he had to wait on her if he didn't want to.

Looking up at Neela, Ray smiled as he said,

"You should have said earlier…we could've shared"

Smacking him on the arm, Neela sent him a mock scowl as she said,

"Shut up Ray", and made her way to the bathroom, all the while thinking, _if only_

* * *

Making their way down the steps of the EL, Neela looked at Ray as she asked,

"Are you sure you feel alright?"

She had noticed that he seemed tired and uncomfortable on the EL, constantly shifting in his seat, and he had the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes.

"Yes Neela…like I said, it's nothing…I'll be fine"

Studying him closer for a few moments, although whether it was to see if he was actually telling of the truth, of just an excuse to look at him, Neela wasn't sure.

Walking in through the doors of County and into the doctors' lounge, Neela and Ray both shed their coats before putting on their white lab coats.

"You know, you could always take the day off sick Ray…there's no shame in being sick"

Giving her an _are you serious _look, Ray walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulders, and smiled at her as he said,

"I'm fine…and besides, I can't take anymore time off, I need next Friday off for a gig"

Shaking her head, Neela laughed as she said,

"You won't be playing a gig if you're lying in bed sick"

Laughing, Ray let his arms drop to his side, much to the dismay of Neela, and made his way to the door of the lounge, holding it open for Neela.

It was nearing the end of their shifts, Neela and Ray both having been put on the same one, and they were both standing at the admit desk, the ER unusually quiet…for a while at least.

Looking over at Abby, who was also standing with them, Ray grinned as he said,

"Hey Abby…did you know Neela thinks I'm hot" His remark earned his an elbow in the ribs from Neela, who flushed pink before saying,

"God, you know that's not what I meant"

Looking over at Abby, who had a grin plastered on her face, Neela said with an exasperated sigh,

"He had a fever…I meant he was warm"

Looking over at her two friends, Abby shook her head before saying,

"You two are impossible"

Ray, who had been smirking, looked at Abby confused as he said,

"What?"

Her face having a similar expression on it, Neela looked at Abby from her place beside Ray as she questioned,

"What are you talking about?"

Just as she was about to answer, Luka came walking over to the admit desk and announced that a trauma was coming in, meaning that the three interns had to put their conversation on hold as they went and gowned up.

* * *

As their shifts ended after three more traumas, Ray and Neela made their way to the doctors' lounge to get their coats and go home. Pulling his coat from his locker, Ray looked at Neela as she pulled her own coat on and said,

"God, I'm just glad this shift is over"

Looking at Ray, who she noted was a little paler than he had been at the start of their shift, Neela simply replied,

"I know…now come on", boldly grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the doctors' lounge, eager to get home and into the warmth.

Walking past the admit desk, Neela let Ray's arm go as Abby sent her a grin and a knowing look before she called out in a slightly sing-song voice,

"Have a nice night"

Walking up the steps to the EL and onto the train, Neela and Ray flopped down into a seat beside each other, the EL fairly empty at that late time at night. Slouching down in his seat, his headache still there from the morning, Ray closed his eyes slightly, and leaned his head on Neela's shoulder. Looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, Neela said,

"I thought you weren't sick"

Tilting his head so that he could look at her face, Ray smiled at her and fluttered his eyelashes as he said,

"I'm tired…not sick", before closing his eyes again and adding, "And you know you love it"

Knowing that was true, Neela merely shook her head as she said to Ray,

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Ray"

Laughing slightly, Ray poked her lightly in the side, earning a small yelp from Neela.

* * *

Pushing the door to their apartment open, Neela dropped her bag and keys by the door, Ray following suit. Walking over to the couch, Ray flopped down, kicking his shoes off, and watched as Neela walked to the kitchen.

"What do you want to eat?" Neela asked as she looked in the fridge, trying to find something edible…or at least something that wasn't past its use by date. _Looks like take out again_

Rubbing his temples with his fingers, Ray looked at Neela as he said with a yawn,

"I'm not really that hungry…I might just turn in"

Looking at him with concern, Neela walked over to him as she said,

"Are you sure you're just tired?"

Nodding his head, Ray gave her what he hoped was his most convincing smile before saying,

"Yeah, I just need to sleep"

Standing up, he patted her on the arm as he smiled at her, a warm smile, and said,

"You worry too much roomie"

Smiling at the contact, the heat in his hand making its way through her clothes to her own skin, Neela smirked as she said,

"Yeah well, despite what people may think of you…you're not _that_ bad" Seeing the smile he gave her, Neela added with a grin, "So it would be a bad thing if something happened to you"

Giving her a shy smile, Ray looked at her as he said,

"Thanks…I think"

Dropping his hand from her arm, Ray said goodnight to her and turned and made his way to his room, Neela watching him as he went.

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**A/N O.K I hope that you liked this second chapter! Please review and let me know what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to say a big thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. As always your comments are appreciated, and I'm glad to see that people are enjoying this story…even though we are only two chapters in! Well, on with chapter three!**

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**Chapter 3**

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A few hours later and Neela was in her own room after having some Mac and cheese for dinner, not really in the mood to attempt to make anything…not that she could, according to Ray anyway. Glancing at Ray's room as she passed it, still worried about him, she thought about checking on him. Making up her mind she walked over to his bedroom door and gently pushed the handle down, not wanting to wake him in case he was asleep. Letting her eyes adjust to the darkness, a small smile appeared on her face looking at his sleeping form. He was wrapped up in his blanket, a look of peacefulness on his face as he slept. Closing the door quietly, Neela made her way to her own room and crawled into bed, planning on getting some much needed rest for the day ahead.

A few hours later, Ray turned over in bed, pushing the blankets down as his body felt as though it were on fire. A thin film of sweat had formed along his brow, and rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling, Ray tried to steady his breathing, the nauseous feeling in his stomach slowly rising. Squeezing his eyes closed, Ray took a few deep breaths, trying to stop the feeling of bile in his throat growing. Pushing himself up onto shaky feet, the room dancing in front of his eyes, Ray stumbled over to the door, grabbing onto the set of drawers to steady himself. Walking as fast as he could to the bathroom, unintentionally shutting the door a bit louder than he intended in his haste, Ray dropped to his knees in front of the toilet just as the bile rose up his throat.

Hearing the bang of the bathroom door as it slammed shut, Neela shot up in bed, startled. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Neela grabbed her dressing gown and pulled it on before opening in bedroom door and peering into the darkness of the living room. That was before she noticed the slither of light coming from the bathroom door, which had popped back open slightly, letting some of its light bleed into the blackness of the floor in the living room, cutting it away. Walking over to the bathroom, Neela pushed the door open, and said with sympathy,

"Oh, Ray", before walking over to him and rubbing his back, crouching down beside him as he finished throwing up, more dry retching as there was nothing in his stomach from that morning. Wiping his hand over his mouth before rinsing his mouth out with the glass of water that Neela handed to him, Ray leaned his head back against the wall, his eyes closed. Setting the glass beside the sink, Neela stood and wet a facecloth before kneeling back down beside Ray and setting it against his forehead. She had immediately noticed that he was sweaty and very pale, and knew that there was no way she was letting him down play this one. Opening his eyes when he felt the cooling cloth on his head, Ray offered Neela a weak smile.

"You feel any better?" Neela asked as she held the cloth to his forehead, looking into his eyes, which where cloudy with the obvious fever that he had.

Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Ray looked at her as he replied honestly,

"A bit…but I still feel like crap"

Offering him a sympathetic smile, Neela set the cloth back on the sink before turning back to Ray. Running her hand through his hair, although what possessed her to momentarily forget herself and touch him so affectionately Neela didn't know. But any excuse to touch him. Standing up, Neela held her hand out to Ray and said,

"Come on, you should be back in bed"

Taking her hand and pushing himself up, Ray stood and closed his eyes as the bathroom began to sway in front of him. Looking at Ray, Neela asked with concern,

"Are you O.K?" her arm looping around his waist.

Opening his eyes, Ray knew that if he wasn't so pale he would have been beetroot with embarrassment. He hated Neela seeing him like this. The only good thing was that she would let him touch her without questioning why. Looking at her, he nodded his head slightly as he said,

"Yeah…the room was just spinning", he offered her a crooked grin, as best as he could with how foul he felt. Giving him a warm smile, Neela helped him back to his bed as she said,

"Well, I guess from now on you'll just have to listen to me, huh?"

Lying down, moving his legs as Neela sat on the bed beside him, her cool hand resting on his cheek, Ray closed his eyes and said with a small smirk,

"I guess so"

Waiting a few moments until she saw his breathing steadying out, Neela ran her hand through his hair before standing up and quietly making her way to his door. Shutting it over slightly, but leaving it most of the way open so that she could hear him calling her if he needed anything…or thumping around when he made his way to the bathroom again, Neela made her way back to her own room. Glancing at her clock she saw that she still had a few more hours left before she had to get up, Neela lay back down and closed her eyes, worry for her roommate still in the back of her mind.

* * *

Hearing the beeping of her alarm, Neela rolled over in bed and hit the button to turn the offending noise off. Pulling herself out of bed, she made her way over to Ray's room, wanting to check on him and make sure that he was alright. Walking into his room, she saw that he was still asleep, but also still very pale. Touching the back of her hand to his forehead she felt that he was burning up, and a frown settled on her face. Sitting on the side of Ray's bed, she laid a hand on his arm and gently shook him awake,

"Hey", she said with a small smile as he looked at her with sleepy eyes, before offering her a somewhat sleepy smile of his own.

"You're still really warm Ray…you should try and drink something to bring your temperature down"

Pushing himself up on his elbows, Ray leaned back against the pillows as he looked at her with a small grin and said,

"You don't even know if I have a temperature"

Smirking, Neela patted him on the leg before standing and saying,

"Well, we have a thermometer so it'll only take me about two minutes to show you that I'm right"

"I'm fine…I feel better now, maybe it was just a twenty four hour thing?"

Walking into the room, the thermometer, a glass of water and some paracetomal in her hands and a smirk on her face as she said,

"I don't think so Ray…after you take these I'm phoning you in sick and getting ready for work"

Pulling a face, Ray took the thermometer off her and put it in his mouth, waiting a few moments before a few beeps filled the room. Taking the thermometer out of his mouth, Ray tried to look at it, but Neela took it out of his hands and frowned as she said,

"102.3…that's high Ray" Setting it down and handing him the medication and the glass of water, Neela sat back in her original position beside him on the bed and said,

"Take these and then you should try and get some more rest…that'll help with your temperature and the headache"

Giving her a surprised look, Ray watched as Neela laughed before saying,

"I know you well enough now Ray…oh, and you should try and eat something light later if you can…you haven't had anything since yesterday, and after last night…"

Giving her a mock salute, Ray said,

"Whatever you say Doc" before lying back down, smiling at Neela as she sent him a mock glare.

* * *

It had been a few hours since Neela had gone to work, and Ray was still lying in bed. He had felt better for a while after he had taken the medication, but now he was feeling worse than he had the past few days. Feeling the pounding between his temples increasing, Ray pushed himself up in bed and swung his legs to the side, holding his head in his hands as the room began to spin.

After a few moments, Ray pushed himself to his feet and walked out into the living room, squinting as the light coming through the windows hurt his eyes, causing his headache to increase. Walking to the kitchen, he poured himself a glass of water and drank it all, setting the glass back in the sink. Suddenly, he felt bile rise up his throat, and just about made it to the bathroom in time to be sick, his throat aching as he dry retched for five minutes before leaning back against the wall.

Feeling a shiver run through him, all of a sudden feeling cold, although he was covered in a film of sweat, Ray rinsed his mouth out of the awful taste before going into his room and pulling a sweatshirt on. Lying down in bed again, Ray pulled the covers around him, feeling awful and wanting nothing more than to go back to sleep.

* * *

In work, Neela was standing at the admit desk, contemplating calling Ray and checking to see if he was O.K. Of course she didn't want to wake him if he was asleep, but knew that she would worry about him all shift if she didn't. Not seeing Abby walk up behind her, a smirk on her face as she watched Neela, she nearly jumped out of her skin when her friend said,

"You have to pick it up for it to _actually _work"

Spinning around, her hand on her chest, Neela said,

"Jesus Abby, don't just creep up on me"

Walking over beside Neela and setting her charts down, she looked at her with concern as she said,

"Why, what's the matter that you've been looking at the phone all day?"

"Ray's sick and I'm worried about him. I don't want to phone in case I wake him up…but I don't want to not phone because then I'll be wondering if he's alright all shift" Neela said, her eyes glancing to the phone every few moments as if she was trying to get her point across.

Patting her friend on the arm, Abby said,

"It's probably just the flu", grinning, she added, "serves the baby right for not getting his Flu shot just because of the damn needle"

Chuckling slightly, Neela nodded her head as she said,

"I guess it probably just is"

* * *

**A/N So what did you think? Ray's not getting any better, but is Abby right, is it just the Flu? Please review and let me know what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry for not updating as quickly as the other chapter, but I had a busy weekend…so please forgive me. Well, I hope that you like this chapter…a bit juicier than the last few! Please review and let me know what you think!**

**And thanks to everyone who reviewed the last one!**

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**Chapter 4**

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Turning over in bed, Ray tried his hardest to get comfortable. However, that was proving to be a difficult task, his bones feeling like they were made of lead, and his body shivering. Although he was actually covered in a cold sweat, his fever creeping higher and higher. Pushing himself up, Ray swung his legs over to the side of the bed, waiting a few moments as his bedroom began to dance in front of his eyes, making his feel sick. After a few moments he warily stood, his hand grabbing onto the bedside table as he swayed, his dizziness increasing when he stood. Walking out of his bedroom, Ray squinted against the light that was pouring through the windows, causing his eyes to sting and his head to ache.

Walking to the kitchen, he got himself a glass of water, his lips dry and his throat aching from being sick. Setting the glass down, he looked in the cupboards for more Tylenol, his head aching, his temples feeling as though someone was driving a drill through them. Popping two in his mouth, Ray quickly chased them down with water.

* * *

Walking down the hall, Neela tucked the chart she had in her hand under her arm as she signed a prescription for her patient in curtain 2, before making her way over to the admit desk, and depositing her chart back into the rack, Carter having signed off on it already. Grabbing the next one, she saw that it was an eight year old boy who had presented with Flu like symptoms. Walking over to the boy and his mother, Neela introduced herself.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Rasgotra"

Checking the little boy over, she was satisfied that it was just a simple case of the Flu, as it was obviously going around, and prescribed him some Tylenol. Smiling as she walked back over to the admit desk, Neela smiled at Abby, who was looking at her with a grin.

"What's got you so happy…I thought you where worried about Ray and how he's on deaths door…apparently" She added the last part with a raised eyebrow, knowing that Ray had tried some lame excuses to prevent getting his Flu jab…and this was obviously his punishment for it.

Looking at Abby, Neela smirked as she said,

"I still am worried…it's just that the Flu seems to be going around, so it is most likely that he just has that"

Shaking her head, Abby laughed as she said,

"You're still going to phone him, aren't you", making it more of a statement than a question. She had lived with Neela for a few months and knew her well enough by now to know most of her thoughts.

Offering her a sheepish smile, Neela turned to Abby as she said,

"I still just want to check on him"

* * *

Setting the glass down, Ray was going to lie back down in a vain attempt to get some more sleep, but had to run to the bathroom again when he felt the all too familiar feeling of bile making its way up his throat. Dropping in front of the toilet on his knees, Ray threw up and retched for the next ten minutes, before he was sure that his stomach was empty. Pushing himself up, he rinsed his mouth out of the awful taste. Pushing away from the sink, he began to make his way back to his room, stopping and grabbing onto the wall when everything began to dance in front of him.

Squeezing his eyes shut for a few moments, Ray opened them again to find that the living room was still swaying…or maybe he was. Pushing himself away from the wall, he was going to attempt to make it back to his bed where he could at least lie down for a while until the dizziness had passed.

However, after only a few steps, he felt his knees buckling and his eyes rolling back, everything around him turning black before he had even hit the floor.

* * *

Picking up the receiver of the phone, Neela looked at Abby, who was smirking. Punching in the familiar number, she waited a few moments, expecting Ray to pick up fairly quickly. After a minute, the ringing tone still sounding in her ears, Neela felt her pulse begin to pick up it's pace as she wondered what would be wrong that Ray wasn't answering the phone. Seeing this in her friends face, Abby's smirk faded as she looked at Neela and asked,

"What's wrong?"

Setting the phone down and trying again, trying to convince herself that she had maybe just dialled in the wrong number, that Ray would pick it up and tell her that he was fine, just so she could tell him otherwise. Still getting no answer, Neela put the phone back in its cradle before she looked at Abby, and said with panic in her voice,

"What if something's wrong Abby…what if he's really sick or he's-" Abby cut Neela off by saying,

"He'll be fine…I'll just go and ask Luka if we can go and check on him, since he's not answering the phone" Walking over to Neela and giving her a reassuring squeeze on the arm, Abby added, "He'll be fine…it's probably just a fluke with the phones or something"

Nodding her head and forcing on a smile, Neela waited until Abby came back, both of their coats in her hands. Looking at Neela she said,

"He said no problem…let him know what's happening"

Taking her coat from Abby and pulling it on, Neela followed her out of the ER and climbed the steps of the EL, her mind on overdrive as she worried about Ray. _Please let him be O.K_

* * *

Finally reaching the apartment building, Abby made her way over to the lift, only to be stopped by Neela as she said,

"It's probably out of order…and if it's not it'll probably stop when we're half way up. Best take the stairs"

Giving her a disbelieving look, Abby shook her head as she said,

"I'd hate to see you and Ray taking these stairs drunk…no wait, I would _love _to see that"

Sending Abby a mock scowl, Neela pulled her key out of her pocket, not wanting to waste any time when they finally reached the apartment. Reaching the top of the stairs, Neela and Abby walked down the hall, Neela taking longer strides, her hand grabbing onto the handle as she pushed the key into the lock and turned it. Pushing the door open, she shouted,

"Ray!"

Taking a few steps in, her heart stopped when she saw him pale and unconscious on the floor. Rushing over to him, she pulled him to her, cradling him in her arms, instantly feeling the heat coming off his body.

"Oh my God!" Abby said as she took in the sight before her, feeling terrible for making jokes. Rushing over beside Neela, her fingers instantly went to Ray's neck, feeling for a pulse.

"Pulse is weak" She said allowed. Standing up, she grabbed the phone beside the couch and called for an ambulance, calling out all the details that they needed. She didn't know what was wrong with Ray yet, but she was certain that he needed to get to County as soon as possible. Setting down the phone she made her way back over to Neela, sympathy in her eyes as she looked at her friend, her eyes brimmed with tears as she said,

"Ray…Ray, you have to wake up", her hand resting on his cheek as she gazed at his face, searching for some sign of recognition that he could hear her, but getting none.

Shifting him in her arms slightly, his head resting on her should as her arms encircled his waist; Neela unintentionally caused his sweatshirt and t-shirt to ride up slightly, causing Abby to see the skin on his side.

"Shit" Abby said as she pushed both higher, to reveal a bruise like rash on his side. Looking at Neela, she asked,

"Did you see this?"

Shaking her head, Neela said,

"No…he never said he had a rash"

Standing up, Abby ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass, shaking her head as she said,

"Please don't be…"Pressing the glass to his side, the rash still there, Abby blew out a breath of frustration and set the glass down as she said, "Crap…well, if we know what it is we can treat it…so that's the good thing"

Running her hand through Ray's hair, seeing how vulnerable he looked, pale and shivering, cradled against Neela, Abby realized how close they had all become…the thought of something happening to him scaring her.

The ambulance had come not long after, and Abby was sitting beside Neela in the back. The latter was holding Ray's hand in her own, the other stroking his warm forehead, brushing some of the hair back. Looking at Neela, Abby placed her hand on her friends arm as she said,

"He's going to be O.K…he's a fighter, you know that"

Never taking her eyes off his face, Neela squeezed his hand a little tighter in her own as she said,

"You better be Ray…because I need you"

* * *

**A/N Well, I hope that you liked that chapter…and don't hate me too much for the cliff-hanger! Please review and let me know that you think!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I want to start with saying Thank You! to all of you who read and reviewed the last chapter. As always, your reviews are greatly appreciated. And I want to let you know that this is going to be the penultimate chapter of this story…I didn't plan for it to be a long one, just something to get me back into the way of writing before I focused back on my other stories, such as '**_**Happiness is a road Travelled' **_**and I promise that that will be the next story to be updated once this one is finished.**

**And with all stories, creative licensing and all that jazz, I am going to have Abby and Luka going out in this story…just because I love them together on the show! **

**Also, some shamless self promotion here...I just made a new Reela video on youtube, called, "_Ray&Neela//My Time Of Dying" _I would love it if you would check it out and let me know what you think. It's a nice positive POV for Ray, focusing on the episodes 'I Don't' 'The Honeymoon is Over' and 'Haunted'**

**Well, on with the chapter then!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Looking at Abby, her heart pounding in her chest, scared that Ray wouldn't be O.K, that she wouldn't get the chance to tell him how she felt, Neela said,

"I need him Abby…"

Placing a comforting hand on her friends shoulder, seeing tears welling up in them, threatening to fall over, but stopping just at the rim, Abby said in a reassuring voice,

"He'll be fine…he's a fighter, you know that"

Turning her attention back to Ray, Neela ran her fingers through his hair, the sight of the oxygen mask over his mouth to help him breath making her heart shatter, she let a lone tear fall down her check unchecked as she said,

"I hope you're right"

Back in the ER Luka glanced at his watch, wondering what was taking Abby and Neela so long. He thought that they were going to be thirty minutes at most, but now the clock was ticking to nearly forty five minutes and he was beginning to get worried that something had happened. Hearing the sound of Carter calling him to help with an incoming trauma, Luka jogged over and waited beside the other doctor in the ambulance bay, wrapping his arms around himself to ward off the cold. One thing that he still hadn't gotten used to about living in Chicago, even after five years, was the cold winters.

Standing beside Carter, he turned to the other man as he asked,

"What have we got?" getting ready to make a mental list of all of the things that he would need to do for the patient, based on the information that they had been given, no matter how little it was.

"26 year old male, suspected case of meningitis"

Luka was about to reply, but was cut short when the sound of the ambulance pulling up drew his attention, and he moved forward with Carter and Pratt, all getting ready to do whatever it was that they had to in order to help the patient.

The doors of the ambulance where pushed open, and shocked the staff when they saw that Abby and Neela where in the back of the ambulance.

"Is it Ray?" Luka asked immediately, taking in Neela's tear stained face as she got out of the ambulance behind Abby, who nodded her head in way of a reply.

"OK, trauma 2!" Carter ordered, helping Luka and Pratt push the gurney down the hall.

Transferring Ray onto the bed in the trauma room, Luka and Carter began to assess how bad he was, administering IVs with antibiotics and fluids. Cutting up Rays t-shirt, Carter felt his panic rise when he saw the size of the bruise like rash that was covering Ray.

"It wasn't like that before" Neela said in a shaky voice from her spot at the head of the bed, one hand holding Rays in her own, the other stroking his warm forehead, comforting both him and herself. Looking at Rays face as she moved her hand to stroke his cheek, not caring about anyone else in the room and what they thought about the intimacy of her touch to someone whom she had recently just said was _only _a friend, Neela noticed Rays eyes beginning to open.

"Ray, that's it…open your eyes" She said as she leaned down closer to him, her palm against his cheek.

Opening his eyes, Ray was met with an onslaught of light, a groan escaping his lips behind the oxygen mask, his eyes watering and his head aching at the light. Turning his head slightly to the side, out of the way of most of the light, Ray opened his eyes to find that he was in one of the trauma rooms at county.

"Ray, I was so worried" Neela said as a few tears made their way down her cheeks.

Looking at Neela, Ray said in a muffled voice,

"What happened?" The last thing he could remember was walking back to his room from the bathroom, but after that everything was blank.

Coming to stand beside Neela, Carter placed his hand on her back gently as he looked at Ray and said,

"Neela and Abby found you passed out. We're giving you antibiotics and we're going to run a few more tests to make sure, but we think you have meningitis"

Looking back at Neela, who had tears filling up in her eyes again, Ray gave her hand a light squeeze before he said,

"Guess I should listen to you next time, huh?" offering her a small smile.

Letting a soft laugh escape her lips, her heart beating a hundred miles an hour just like it had when she had found him, only this time it was caused by his smile, Neela replied,

"I think that might be best"

* * *

It was a few hours later and Ray was in exam two, having to be moved when a multiple MVA had came in. Neela was sitting in a chair by his bed, her hand still holding onto his.

Looking at Neela, Ray gave her a watered down version of his normal grin as he said,

"So I suppose I'm never going to hear the end of this one, am I?"

Shaking her head, Neela smiled at him as she said,

"Of course not! But for now I'll leave you alone with the teasing…since you still have to get a spinal tap and that would be cruel"

Grimacing, Ray looked at her as he said, in an almost child-like way,

"I hate needles"

Running her thumb over the back of his hand, Neela said with a sympathetic smile on her face,

"I know you do…but I'll be here to distract you from it", she added, trying to cheer him up. The sight of him pale, and lying in a hospital bed, was something she didn't want to have to see again. He looked so miserable, his mouth set in a cute little pout, the one that he always did whenever he wanted her to swap shifts with him, or when he had woke her up coming in at night.

Turning her head at the sound of the door opening, Neela smiled when she saw that it was Abby and Luka.

"Hey" She said, watching as Abby pulled a seat over beside Ray's bed so that she could sit beside her.

Ray, however, was too focused on Luka, who had the LP kit in his hands. Raising an eyebrow, he said,

"I mean, the antibiotics are working and we know what I have, so no need for the LP, right?"

Shaking her head, Abby patted Ray on the leg as she said with a compassionate smile,

"You really don't like needles, do you?"

Looking at her, he blushed slightly, seeing the slight grin on Luka's face from the corner of his eye, and said,

"No, not really"

Pulling in his gloves, Luka looked at Ray as he said,

"Well, I'll try and make it as quick and as painless as possible"

Pushing himself up, Ray swung his legs over the bed, resting his elbows on the table that Luka had pushed in front of him, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible.

Standing up, Neela slipped her hand in one of Rays, smiling when he looked up at her, a small smile on his own face, wanting for this to be over as much as Ray did.

As the needle was pushed into his back, Ray but his lip to stop himself voicing his pain, although Neela could see the pain in his face, and ran her fingers through his hair, bending down to his ear as she said in a whisper,

"It's OK..."

Filling the small vial with the fluid that he needed for the lab tests, Luka finished the LP, saying to Ray,

"All done…I hope it wasn't too bad" He hated giving Lumbar punctures to patients, knowing that they were one of the most uncomfortable procedures to get, and so he always tried to make them as painless as he could.

Looking at Luka, Ray offered the older man a small smile as he said,

"No, it was fine", although in reality he had wanted to pull the needle from his back, he knew that it wasn't Luka's fault, and so he wasn't going to make him feel bad.

"OK. I'll be back to check on you soon"

Lying back on the bed, Ray smiled at Abby as she leaned over and hugged him before saying,

"I'll be back later"

Saying bye, Ray turned to look at Neela, and noticed that she was off in a trance, and waved his hand in front of her face as he said,

"Earth to Neela"

Blushing slightly, Neela shook her head and let out a soft laugh as she said,

"Sorry"

Shifting over in the bed, Ray patted the spot beside him as he grinned and said,

"Well, since I just had to go through such a terrible ordeal...with the needle, I think I deserve some company"

Smiling, she stood from her seat and kicked off her shoes before climbing onto the bed beside him, moving so that his head from resting on her shoulder, and her arm around his shoulder.

Lifting his head slightly, Ray kissed her lightly on the lips, before pulling back and saying with a soft smile,

"Thanks"

Certain that he could feel her heart beating in her chest from the way they were lying, Neela took a breath, a blush on her cheeks and a smile on her face as she said,

"You're welcome", before cupping his cheek with her hand, her thumb running over his cheekbone as she leaned forward and kissed him again.

* * *

**I hope you liked that chapter…the next will be the last, so if you really want to see something and are afraid that you might not, suggestions are welcomed and I'll see if I can squeeze it in! Please review and let me know what you think!**


	6. Chapter 6

**O.K, sadly we have reached the final chapter of "I'll be Fine". And I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed all of the previous chapters, you really kept me going with this. Of course, this won't be the last from me, because I still have a few other stories in the works and they will all be updated soon.**

**So, enough of me and on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Pulling back from the kiss, Neela smiled as she looked at Ray, who, even in his state of ill health, still managed to give her that goofy grin that he always did, the one that made her knees go weak. Pushing himself up, Ray cupped Neela's cheek with his hand, running his thumb lightly over her cheek as he looked her in the eyes and said,

"Too bad I'm sick because-"

"Ray!" Neela said, a blush creeping over her cheeks, knowing exactly what he was going to say. Laughing, Ray kissed her lightly before he said in a more serious tone,

"But really…thanks."

Smiling, Neela leaned into his touch as she said,

"You're welcome…" Feeling a little cheekier than her usual self, Neela grinned as she added in a low voice, her mouth next to his ear, "But you can make it up to me soon"

Pulling back, Ray smiled, looking like an excited kid as he raised an eyebrow and said,

"Really?"

Nodding her head, Neela pulled Ray down into another kiss, not knowing how she had went this long without ever kissing him.

"Shit! Sorry!" Abby's voice broke through the moment as she opened the door, quickly closing it upon seeing the scene in front of her. Laughing lightly, Ray leaned his forehead against Neela's as he said,

"Guess we should let her in, huh?"

Nodding her head, Neela laughed lightly as he got off the bed and walked over to the door, opening it to find a rather flustered looking Abby with a chart in her hands, obviously Rays, and said with a smile,

"You can come in"

Smirking, Abby gave Neela a knowing look before walking into the room and over to Rays bed,

"You're obviously feeling better"

Looking over at Neela briefly, Ray met Abby's eyes with a smile as he said,

"Yep…so when can I go home?" a hopeful smile on his face.

Shaking her head at his eagerness to leave, although she now knew why, she looked over at Neela before she said,

"You and Casanova have plans?"

Grinning, Neela walked over and sat on the edge of the bed beside Ray, taking his hand in hers as she looked at Abby and said,

"Funny…you know what he's like"

"He is sitting right here" Ray said as he looked between the two woman, earning a laugh from them both.

Looking at Ray, Abby flipped open his chart as she said,

"Well, the antibiotics seem to be working, but we want to keep you in overnight for observation, just to be safe"

Slouching back against the pillows, Ray groaned as he said,

"I live with a doctor…and I am a doctor, I can make sure I'm fine myself"

Laughing, Abby patted him on the shoulder before saying,

"I know, but you have to stay here…tomorrow you can come home"

Looking at Ray, Neela smiled as she said,

"I can stay"

Shaking her head, Abby said,

"God, you two are going to be in this 'sickly sweet love' stage for a while, aren't you?", before turning and leaving, muttering something about her and Luka never being like that.

Smiling, Ray leaned over and kissed Neela on the lips before pulling back and saying,

"No, you need to get some sleep yourself…you were on all morning"

Moving so that she was sitting on the bed beside him again, Neela wrapped her arms around him as she said,

"Are you sure, because I don't mind staying"

Smiling, Ray pulled her closer to him, nuzzling his nose into her neck before pulling back and saying with a cheeky grin,

"Positive…as much as I would like you lying in this bed with me all night"

* * *

It was the next morning and Neela was in the apartment getting some of Rays stuff so that he could go home. Abby had phoned her earlier to let her know what Ray was fit to go home and that he would just need to take it easy for a few days.

Walking into his room with a bag, intent on getting him some clothes to wear…the hospital gown and sweats look not really something she thought Ray would want to wear outdoors. Setting the bag down on his bed, Neela walked over to the set of drawers and pulled out a pair of boxers and socks before grabbing a pair of jeans and throwing them in too. Grabbing a t-shirt, one that she personally loved him wearing, Neela chucked it and his converse into the bag before grabbing her keys and coat and making her way out the door.

Walking through the doors to county, Neela smiled at Jerry who was standing at the desk, before making her way to Ray's room. Opening the door, she had to stifle her laugh at the sight before her. In his boredom, Ray had begun to flick through the channels of the TV in the room, finding that only soap operas where on…and there was no way that Ray Barnett was going to watch something as cheesy as "Days of Our Lives". Of course, the fact that he had been ordered by Carter that he wasn't to leave the bed unless it was absolutely necessary meant that he couldn't even walk around the room and stretch his legs for a bit. So he had fallen asleep, one arm lying across his chest, barely holding onto the magazine that he had been reading, and the other dangling over the edge of the bed.

Walking over to him, Neela took the magazine from his hand before setting the bag down. Leaning down, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, smiling when he shifted and opened his eyes to look at her.

"Hey" Ray said as he pulled Neela down onto the bed beside him, earning a startled yelp from the latter. Wrapping his arms around her, Ray nuzzled her neck as he said in a mumbled voice,

"Don't ever leave me here alone again…I think I'll kill myself"

Laughing slightly, Neela pulled back and kissed the tip of his nose before running her hand through his hair, which was still in the state of bed head, and said in a cooing baby voice,

"You know I wouldn't do that", before laughing at the look he gave her, one eyebrow raised, his mouth turned up slightly.

Patting him on the leg, Neela pulled herself from his embrace, as much as she didn't want to, and went over to the beg of clothes she had brought for him, pulling them out as she said,

"Here's some clothes…I guessed you wouldn't want to go home dressed like that"

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Ray stood up and walked over to her as he said,

"I would go home naked if it meant I could go home"

Feeling a blush on her face as she got images in her head of just what he had said, Neela handed Ray his clothes as she said hurriedly,

"Well I brought you these so now you don't have to"

Grinning, Ray pulled her closer to him as he said,

"But I was really looking forward to the look on their faces"

Kissing him, Neela ran her hands down Rays back, stopping at the small of his back and letting her hands rest there, as she said,

"Well, you can save walking around naked for later", a playful glint in her eyes.

* * *

They were finally back in the apartment, and Neela grinned as Ray walked over and flopped down onto the sofa, looking at her as he said,

"You know how much I missed this place after one night?"

Walking over to him, Neela sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. Closing her eyes as she breathed him in, Neela smiled as she said,

"It seemed so empty without you in it"

Kissing the top of her head, Ray closed his eyes as he rested his cheek against her hair and said in a soft voice,

"Well, I don't plan on leaving any time soon"

Lifting her head and kissing him on the neck, Neela cupped his face with her hand as she said,

"I'm glad…because I don't want you to"

Looking into her eyes, Ray could see the love in them, certain that his own eyes where reflecting the same look to her. He had fallen for her the first time he had met her, and even though at times they bickered and moaned at one another, Ray knew that it was one of the things he loved. He loved that she was so passionate about something that she would care so much to even give a damn about it. Leaning down, Ray kissed her, tangling his hands in her hair as she deepened the kiss before moving so that she was sitting in his lap.

Pulling back after a few breathless seconds, Neela looked in Ray's eyes and seen the lust and craving in them, moving her hands so that they were resting on his chest, feeling the muscles underneath. Pushing his hands under her shirt, Ray rested his hands on the skin of her lower back, feeling the heat coming of it. Kissing her again, Ray smiled as he felt her pushing his t-shirt higher, however he wasn't ready to move his hands, and so Neela changed path and began unbuckling his belt.

Pulling back, Neela looked at Ray as she said,

"You're room or mine?" knowing that if they didn't go now they wouldn't go at all. And she didn't want her first time being with Ray to be on the sofa in their living room where the majority of his band mates had slept before.

Smiling, Ray stood up, Neela wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Kissing her, Ray made his way to his room, kicking the door shut behind him.

* * *

"That was amazing" Neela said in a soft voice as she drew lazy circles on Ray's chest with her fingers, listening to his heart beating beneath her ear.

"I know" Ray said with a smile on his face as he kissed her forehead.

Pushing herself up on one elbow, Neela smirked as she said,

"You certainly have stamina for someone who was lying in a hospital bed last night"

Leaning up to kiss her, Ray grinned as he ran his hand up and down her arm and said with a glint in his eyes,

"Didn't I tell you I would be fine"

**The End**

* * *

**A/N OK, there you have it…the final chapter of "I'll Be Fine". I hope that you all liked how this story ended, and please review and let me know what you thought.**


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